


between wind and water

by deliarium



Category: The Charioteer - Mary Renault
Genre: Friendship, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-13 10:55:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29277300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deliarium/pseuds/deliarium
Summary: On the morning after, Ralph receives a call from Alec.
Relationships: Alec Deacon & Ralph Lanyon, Alec Deacon/Sandy Reid, Ralph Lanyon/Laurie Odell
Comments: 6
Kudos: 17
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 6





	between wind and water

**Author's Note:**

  * For [greerwatson](https://archiveofourown.org/users/greerwatson/gifts).



Ralph was in the kitchen, idly smoking and preparing some early morning tea and breakfast for Laurie, as well as a strong cup of coffee for himself, when the phone unexpectedly rang. 

Over the dim glow of his burning cigarette he glanced up at the clock, his usually keen sense of time still strained and muddled from the tumultuous events of the day before. Nearly a quarter after six.

"Hello, Alec," he said briskly upon picking up the receiver, cigarette dangling from the corner of his lips. He could hardly expect it to be anyone else at this hour, and besides, Alec was the only person aside from Laurie and his commanding officer who had his new number.

"Hello, Ralph." If there had been a note of relief amid the overall tone of exasperated impatience, it was quickly suppressed. "Good God, I tried calling you all last night with no luck getting through. If an incendiary had hit you I wouldn't know. How are you? How are things over there?"

"Fine right now, I think." He darted a cursory glance towards the doorway of the bedroom, where Laurie could still be seen slumbering, an arm flung out in a possessive grip over a pillow, and was unable to hold back a small smile of affection. "I'm sorry if I worried you. I'll be taking Spud back to the hospital later this morning. All is well there, I hope?"

"For the time being. I had to come up with a pretty story for the Night Sister. Laurie's sister gravely ill and crying out for him on her sickbed, and so forth. Fortunately there was a slightly urgent situation going on with one of the other patients, so she didn't have time to question it. Please do remind Laurie to stick to it when he gets there. I can't be cleaning up any more shambles today; I've just about had it, what with everything going on at home."

Laurie had mentioned something about Sandy earlier, while they were laying together, although it hadn't quite registered; they'd had a great deal else on their minds at the time. "Thank you for that. How has Sandy been?"

"Better, as of last night." Alec sounded more than usual beaten down with exhaustion. "I don't know how much you've heard from Laurie. I told Sandy—well, I can tell you all about it later, but suffice to say, I was entirely forthright with him. I had to keep a close eye on him all night to make sure he didn't try anything rash. Which he didn't this time, thankfully. Afterwards when it was a bit calmer we did manage to talk out some things, which I should suppose is enough of a start."

"Yes, I suppose..." Ralph's voice, tensing, suddenly sounded like a distant echo to himself, faintly unreal. He drew deeply from his cigarette and tried again, more slowly and deliberately. "I expect you'll both eventually find it was for the best. Whatever happens, you'll at least be on straighter terms with each other. No more of this muddiness and blundering around in the dark."

"I agree." There was a brief pause on the other end of the line. "Please give my regards to Laurie. I'm afraid I was rather brusque with him the other day. I do like him, when all's said."

"I shall tell him." Alec's attempts at meaningful hints were never subtle, but his judgment was sounder than most, at least when it came to matters outside of his own personal life; his good opinion of someone was not bestowed lightly. Ralph recalled, with a conscientious pang, a grievance that had yet to be corrected, and said, in a carefully formal tone, "And I owe you an apology at some point."

"Oh, well, there's no need for _that_. Truthfully I had my suspicions about Bunny and might have told you, but Christ, who could have anticipated—" Alec sighed, then continued, with a voice of flat weariness, "I wouldn't turn down a drink or two at the pub after work, though. If you don't mind Sandy coming along...given the circumstances."

"Not in the least. I'll ask Spud, later." Across from the kitchen Ralph heard the rustling of blankets and the stirring of limbs against bedsheets. He flicked out his cigarette. "Speaking of whom, I must go. I'm worried this tea will start to cool off before long."

"How positively domestic you are getting, my dear. I should see if Sandy will accept amends in the form of coffee. Goodbye, Ralph."

"Goodbye, Alec."


End file.
